Lillian Baldwin And The Cleveland Plan
Lillian Baldwin was hired by both the Orchestra and the Cleveland Board of Education as the Supervisor of Music Education. Her charge was to strengthen the children’s concerts and music education programming. Baldwin envisioned a comprehensive music education program that focused not only on musically gifted children, but any child willing to learn. She created a range of age-specific study materials for each concert, and distributed them throughout the Cleveland Public School District. This system of music education was dubbed “The Cleveland Plan,” and was later used by orchestras around the country. Study over a semester would culminate in attendance at a live performance by The Cleveland Orchestra at Severance Hall.
